R' Shalom Kiever (i.e., from Kiev) had been a Novardoker Rosh HaVaad before the war in Pinsk. When the war broke out and he was sent to a Siberian prison camp, he became totally involved in Chesed. He was the Chi'yus of all the depressed Jews, and while they counted all the inmates every morning, he would sing Pesukim out loud in front of the Goyim... and got away with it.
An eyewitness describes what he saw in the Siberian Prison during World War II. On the first day the prisoners arrived, they were all sitting in their hut, deeply depressed about the sudden Gehinom they found themselves in. R' Shalom Kiever from Yeshivas Pinsk was totally different. He was singing Simchas Torah Niggunim, with the words: אַל תִּירָּא מִּפַחַד פִּתְאוֹם don’t be afraid of Reshaim כִּי עִּמָּנוּ קֵל because Hashem is with us.
Suddenly, the head of the prison broke into the hut, ordering everyone to go outside in order to be counted. They all ran to do his bidding, for fear of dire consequences. R' Shalom didn’t run like everyone else. He walked slowly to the entrance of the hut, saying Pesukim of Tehilim to himself. He didn’t come out until everyone had been counted several times. When the chief warden noticed him, he cursed him with horrific threats: he would skin him alive, etc. Everyone was terrified, except for R' Shalom, who continued singing Tehilim in a loud voice, and saying: שׁוֹמֵר ה' אֶת כָּל אוֹהֲבָיו וְאֶת כָּל הָּרְשָּׁעִּים יַשְׁמִּיד Hashem protects all His loved ones, and will destroy all the Resha’im.
The warden told him to get in line, but R' Shalom ignored him, and continued to daven with his eyes to Shamayim. The warden pushed him, and ordered him to go to the tent. R' Shalom didn’t budge, and the warden shrugged his shoulders and left him alone! R' Shalom was never broken throughout the war. He wouldn’t eat the Treife food, and instead ran to bring his food to the sick and starving inmates.
Believe it or not, R’ Shalom survived the war! This is a real Tamim, who believes in Pesukim of Tehilim more than he believes in Tevah.
There was only one time R’ Shalom was hurt, and that was.... when they took away his Tefilin. Imagine when it came time for Shachris the next morning, and R' Shalom didn’t have his beloved Tefilin! However, this was not a problem! He just rolled up his left sleeve (as he did every morning) and proclaimed: “Hashem! You are my witness that I would like to continue wearing Tefilin. May it be considered AS IF I am actually wearing them!”
A person who has true belief in Chazal who say: בָשָ חֲמַה טוֹבָה הַבָקָ "ה מְפָרְצַה לְש עֲמַה קידושין מ א Hashem considers our good intentions as if we actually did them, is always happy.
